Marjorie Taylor Greene says she was targeted by failed swatting attempt on Christmas

Authorities have launched a probe as Republican US Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene said that she was the target of a swatting attempt at her Georgia residence on Christmas morning. 

The congresswoman and local police said that this has become the latest instance of someone calling in a fake emergency to draw armed officers or SWAT teams to her home, which is located about 113 kilometres northwest of Atlanta. 

According to the spokesperson Kelly Madden, the Rome Police Department quickly verified that the call was a hoax and did not send officers to the house. 

Greene wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter: “I was just swatted. This is like the 8th time. On Christmas with my family here. My local police are the GREATEST and shouldn’t have to deal with this.” 

Madden said that a man in New York called the Georgia suicide hotline just before 11 am (local time) Monday, claiming that he had shot his girlfriend at Greene’s home and was going to kill himself next. 

When suicide hotline responders recognised the Georgia congresswoman’s address, the call was quickly transferred to police. 

The department contacted Greene’s private security detail to assure her safety and that there was no emergency at her apartment. 

Because the call was discovered to be a swatting attempt, the police response was cancelled when they were on the way, according to Madden. 

She said, “We determined before our personnel could get to her location that there was no emergency and there was no reason to respond. Her security detail had it all under control, and there actually was nothing going on.” 

Madden said that Greene’s statement noted that she has been the target of around eight swatting attempts. Previously, calls have claimed that dead bodies had been found in the bathtub and in other areas of her home. 

Police also responded last year to false reports of shootings outside her residence.

(With inputs from agencies)